To speed up prototyping, Ford has created a rapid process they call the Ford Freeform Fabrication Technology, F3T for short.
Like most 3D printing technologies, the F3T process begins with a CAD model. Once the model has been validated a tool path is created for the part, and it’s then sent off to a dual arm robot that turns a 2D piece of sheet metal into an identical replica of the 3D model.
For Ford, the long term goal is to use this process to mass produce metal parts across the globe, and that’s good news for the 3D printing industry.
Watch a Video of Ford’s Freeform Fabrication Technology:
Image and Video Courtesy of Ford